1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to peripherals such as a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a copying machine, and the like which are controlled via a network, IEEE 1394, and other connection forms from an information processing apparatus, a peripheral control method, a peripheral control system, and a storage medium in which a peripheral control program is stored.
2. Related Background Art
When jobs are issued to a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, and a copying machine connected via a network, and the like from a host computer (information processing apparatus) and these peripherals are managed, types or models of the peripherals are grasped beforehand, then peripheral control software (control programs) such as appropriate drivers suitable for the machine types, and the like need to be prepared in the host computer. Moreover, when a multi-function peripheral (MFP) provided with functions of a printer engine and a scanner engine is connected via the network, and the like, a peripheral control software (control program) such as an appropriate driver suitable for the peripheral needs to be prepared in the host computer.
However, in the conventional multi-function peripheral, since the functions possessed by the printer engine and the scanner engine (functions of a physical device control program) can be used by a user as they are, the following problems exist:
(1) when the function which can be used by the user is limited, and a functional limit is added, fine management such as a charge discount is difficult.
(2) In a copying machine having a plurality of print engines, each print engine is provided with a function of a printer or a copying machine. Therefore, it is impossible to use a plurality of print engines and constitute a logical printer or a logical copying machine so that one printer or one copying machine is presented to the user, or it is impossible to provide a logical printer or a logical copying machine which has a function of automatically selecting the printer engine.
(3) It is impossible to present to the user a plurality of logical printers or logical copying machines which have separate functions, by using one print engine.
(4) Since a command system differs with each function of the multi-function peripheral, a unified apparatus management is difficult.
(5) A function which can be used by a plurality of connection forms such as network, Centronics interface, SCSI, IEEE 1394, and the like is fixedly determined beforehand, and the function usable for each connection form cannot be changed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-functional peripheral, a peripheral control method, a peripheral control system, and a storage medium with a peripheral control program stored therein, which are easy for a user to use.
To attain the above-described object, according to the present invention, there is provided a peripheral connected to an information processing apparatus, comprising input means for inputting a job constituted of packet data from the information processing apparatus, and control means for allowing a logical device control program retaining a function of a logical device to which the job is transmitted from the information processing apparatus and managing the job transmitted to the logical device to analyze the job inputted by the input means, and for subsequently allowing a physical device control program retaining a function of a device engine of the peripheral and managing the job in the device engine to analyze the job.
To attain the object, according to the present invention, there is provided a peripheral control method in a peripheral connected to an information processing apparatus, comprising the steps of: inputting a job constituted of packet data from the information processing apparatus, allowing a logical device control program retaining a function of a logical device to which the job is transmitted from the information processing apparatus and managing the job transmitted to the logical device to analyze the inputted job, and subsequently allowing a physical device control program retaining a function of a device engine of the peripheral and managing the job in the device engine to analyze the job.
To attain the object, according to the present invention, there is provided a storage medium, in which a peripheral control program executed in a peripheral connected to an information processing apparatus, the peripheral control program inputting a job constituted of packet data from the information processing apparatus, allowing a logical device control program retaining a function of a logical device to which the job is transmitted from the information processing apparatus and managing the job transmitted to the logical device to analyze the inputted job, and subsequently allowing a physical device control program retaining a function of a device engine of the peripheral and managing the job in the device engine to analyze the job.
To attain the object, according to the present invention, there is a provided a peripheral control system provided with an information processing apparatus and a peripheral, comprising: output means for outputting a job constituted of packet data to the information processing apparatus; input means for inputting the job outputted from the output means; and control means for allowing a logical device control program retaining a function of a logical device to which the job is transmitted from the information processing apparatus and managing the job transmitted to the logical device to analyze the inputted job, and for subsequently allowing a physical device control program retaining a function of a device engine of the peripheral and managing the job in the device engine to analyze the job.